The Orthodox marriage rite mentions the hope for offspring several times and asks that the couple “be made glad with the sight of sons and daughters.” The marriage rite is even jokingly referred to as the “Orthodox fertility rite.” Case in point: My non-Orthodox friends who attended my wedding some twenty years ago were taken aback by the many references to procreation. But there’s a reason for these references—the Church’s deep love for the human person and the sacredness it places on all ... [Read more]
About Carrie Frederick Frost
A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break
“A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench” Having experienced the deaths of my parents and in the aftermath dealing with their personal possessions, I know all too well the oscillation between tedium—what do I do with all of these rubber bands?—and fresh feelings of heartache—such as finding a dusty photo of myself with my dad when I was a baby. One day two decades ago while I was mourning my mother’s untimely death, I set out to clean her desk not knowing what ... [Read more]
